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Why Jhon Duran is outgrowing his nickname as Aston Villa close in on surprise £9.4m boost
Aston Villa put in their best performance in Europe under Unai Emery on Tuesday night, beating RB Leipzig 3-2 at the Red Bull Arena.
It was a must-win game for Leipzig after losing their first five matches in the competition, but they were still Villa's pot one away opponents and are currently sitting in fourth position in the Bundesliga. Villa were twice pegged back after goals from John McGinn and Jhon Duran, before Ross Barkley came off the bench and won the game as his effort from outside the box deflected past Peter Gulacsi.
Emery brought Duran on for the start of the second half as Ollie Watkins suffered a "small injury", but Villa didn't lose the attacking verve they showed in the first period and were once again carving Leipzig open at will. Just like in the previous two victories against Brentford and Southampton, Villa could've scored a hatful if they were more clinical in front of goal.
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Here are the talking points from Villa's victory in Germany...
Duran outgrowing 'Mr Chaos' tag
Duran's strengths of bringing chaos and unpredictability can actually also be a hindrance to Villa's structure. But in recent performances, the striker has shown signs that he is more tuned in to what Emery wants from a tactical point of view.
He is combining with his teammates more effectively and his hold-up play with his back to goal is also much-improved. Duran is capable of scoring all types of goals and has the potential to become one of the top forwards in Europe, but only if he improves his all-round game.
He has made incredible strides under Emery in the last 12 months and perhaps we are seeing him take another step in his development. You never want to take away Duran's enthusiasm for goals - not that you could if you tried - but there was one moment where he should have played McGinn in on the left in the 75th minute instead of firing towards goal under pressure.
Nicknamed 'Captain Chaos' by some Villa fans, Duran could soon outgrow that tag as he adds more control and maturity to his game. He was very raw when he first joined Villa from Chicago Fire, but considering his rapid progress under Emery, it's scary to think what a talent he could become in just another 12 months, before his 22nd birthday.
Statement win on the continent
There needs to be some context applied to Leipzig's poor form in the Champions League. Aside from their trip to Celtic, they've lost to teams which would have been considered as contenders for a top eight finish at the start of the competition, those sides being Atletico Madrid, Juventus, Liverpool and Inter.
They also had to beat Villa on Tuesday, so this was far from a straight-forward task against a side who were sitting in second in the Bundesliga this time last month.
Before facing Leipzig, Villa had only won two of the eight matches they had played the continent since the start of last season, winning at AZ Alkmaar and BSC Young Boys. It was crucial that Villa put in a statement performance and earned a result against a top side in Europe to breed confidence heading into the knockouts.
Villa's best performances this season have come in the Champions League, which bodes well for the final two matches against AS Monaco and Celtic, where Emery's side will have the chance to seal their place in the Champions League round of 16 and avoid a two-legged knockout play-off.
Defensive worries remain
Villa were excellent for large parts of the game on Tuesday, but they let themselves down in the two goals they conceded. The first, which saw Lois Openda bring down Nicolas Seiwald's ball over the top, was a dreadful goal to concede.
Emi Martinez should have taken control of the situation after already coming to the edge of his box, but he hesitated thinking Diego Carlos was going to clear the danger instead. Without communication, Openda was allowed to tap the ball into an empty net.
After Duran's goal, Villa then failed to deal with another direct ball which allowed Openda to break free and find Christoph Baumgartner's run at the far post. It was an exquisite finish, but certainly another avoidable goal from Villa's perspective.
"I think the two goals we conceded were disappointing from our point of view," McGinn said on Amazon Prime. "I thought overall we were the better team and we could have scored more. We dealt with their problems well and what we needed today was substitutes to come on and make a difference."
Top eight reward up for grabs
Villa's destiny is in their own hands. They will be in the top eight before they take on Monaco on January 21, before then hosting Scottish champions Celtic a week later on January 29.
"It is exciting," McGinn said. "We had some disappointing results off the great start and it is great to be in the top three. We have that Monaco game and then a nice one against Celtic."
Youri Tielemans added: "We worked really hard to get where we are now and to come here and win is not an easy task to do. We played for each other and deserved the win.
"Leipzig are a very good team and we knew we had to pay attention on their transition. I thought we had some really good spells on the ball and in the end we got the win which is really important. We don't need to get carried away now. We know how tough it is going to be. We need to enjoy this win but not get carried away."
The reward for clubs who finish in the top eight positions is a guaranteed place in the round of 16, while clubs placed from ninth to 24th must play a two-legged knockout play-off, with the victors going through to the last 16. From then on it is a straight knockout.
In the knockout play-offs, the teams that finish between ninth and 16th will be seeded in the draw, meaning they will face a team placed 17th to 24th – with, in principle, the return leg at home. The eight clubs which prevail in the knockout phase play-offs will then progress to the round of 16, where they will each face one of the top-eight finishers, who will be seeded in the round of 16.
But Villa now have a big opportunity to claim a ticket for the last 16 after their perfect start. Not only would they skip the knockout play-off, but points mean prizes in the Champions League.
Bonuses are set at £1.8m per win or £601,000 per draw. So far, Villa have banked £7.8m and have another £3.6m to play for in the league phase. Referred to as 'shares', the higher the finishing place in the league phase table, the more 'shares' a club will receive.
One share is £236,000, therefore, the 36th-placed side would take home one share or £236,000 - from the league system, whilst the team that finishes top wins 36 shares, or £8.5m. Additionally, the clubs that place between first and eighth in the league will be given a £1.7m bonus, and those placed ninth through to 16th will be awarded an extra £859,000.
The league system's top eight teams plus the eight that progress from the play-offs will be awarded £9.4m each just for reaching the round of 16. Should Villa progress to the knockout play-offs instead, they would bag £859,000 for qualifying.
